My Perspective on Wearing the White Coat

A License to Heal: Random Memories of an ER Doctor, by Dr. Steven Bentley, is a very interesting read for anyone interested in a career not just in medicine, but also in my favorite field: Emergency Medicine (EM). The author started his career as a board certified physician in EM in the late 1970’s in North Carolina. His “random memories” are just that…they are his reflections of the past laid out in a somewhat linear order from medical school, his internship, residency, and throughout his career as a doctor. Dr. Bentley went into medicine to “escape the poverty that I had known as a child” and to be one of the “good guys” in white coats. read more…

With Step 1 just over 10 weeks away, I think it is time to get pumped. Coming off Spring Break, I know that I could use some encouragement. “The Man in the Arena” was a speech delivered by Teddy Roosevelt almost 104 years ago in Paris, France. The most famous portion of the speech goes something like this:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

Excuse me, I have to go run through a brick wall, then I will resume Step 1 studying.

Dr. James Dahle is an Emergency Medicine physician who practices in Utah. He also is the owner and editor of The White Coat Investor, which is one of the most successful and widely-read financial blogs out there. Dr. Dahle wants to help physicians get a “fair shake” on Wall Street, and his website/book are tailored for those working in healthcare: medical students, residents, practicing physicians, dentists, etc. I was lucky enough to receive two signed copies from the author (one of which I will be giving away!), however this is an honest review as we have no financial relationship.

I finished The White Coat Investor: A Doctor’s Guide to Personal Finance and Investing in two sittings. Although I have some knowledge and a previous interest in the world of finance, this book is accessible for even the biggest novice. This is ultimately the book’s greatest achievement. Most of us in medical school or practicing medicine do not have the time or energy (or desire) to read a book about money and retirement. However, Dr. Dahle does a great job of breaking down this incredible complicated topic into relevant, easy to digest chapters. read more…

The USMLE Step 1 is becoming more and more clinically oriented. To be honest, I can’t really argue with this change. The point of medical school is to produce clinicians, not robots that spit out rate-limiting enzymes (although there are plenty of questions about those too). After sampling a couple question banks this school year, I would estimate that 75% of questions involve a clinical vignette. Before medical school, I am pretty sure I had never even heard the words clinical vignette or pathognomonic so if you are also unfamiliar with the terms, read on! read more…

Patrick Randolph, the founder of QueueDr, a simple yet innovative way of filling canceled doctor’s appointments was kind enough to write a guest post about healthcare IT (information technology). I think this is super valuable information for anyone interested in owning their own practice or operating hospital infrastructure. I have seen firsthand how poorly some physicians take to technology, especially electronic health records. The future of healthcare is technology so read ahead and follow @QueueDr on Twitter.

Doctors not only have be caretakers, but they also have to be lawyers, marketing experts, and techies. As a healthcare IT entrepreneur I spend all day talking to doctors and their staff. One problem I see is that doctors have trouble identifying which product is the right one. Here is a guide (IMHO and in no particular order) of what to analyze when looking at a product. read more…

A week ago, I was approached about a “journal by medical students, for medical students,” and this immediately piqued my interest. With the majority of published research placed behind pay walls and becoming increasing esoteric, I am all for a new research publishing model. The following is a guest post by Nadine Kaskas, the Editor-in-Chief of the American Medical Student Research Journal (and current 3rd year at Louisiana State University Health Shreveport School of Medicine).

The ability to analyze, critique, and use research in practice is essential to master evidence-based medicine and deliver the best possible care to patients. A group of committed medical students have established the American Medical Student Research Journal (AMSRJ) to promote interest in research among their peers as well as provide a platform for the development of critical thinking skills needed for clinical success. read more…